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Renovation underway for Hopatcong landmark

Submitted photo
Renovation has started on the old train station built in 1911 which is now home to the Lake Hopatcong Foundation. The foundation's annual Lake Loop Fundraiser, a bicycle, trail and paddle competition, will be held Sunday, Sept. 24.

HOPATCONG -- Today, the old stone train station with the bright green roof seems almost out of place amid the gas stations and convenience stores that dot the Northern New Jersey landscape. It sits along a winding stretch of Ledgewood Landing Road as it has for more than a century, a weathered gatekeeper standing ever stalwart at his post.

In the years that have passed since the last train pulled out of the station, it has been used as a hardware store and a furniture depot, a game room and an office space. Now, though, thanks to the efforts of local preservationists and the continued support of the Lake Hopatcong community, renovations are underway to restore the landmark building to its former glory and cement its place in history as the new home of the Lake Hopatcong Foundation.

The foundation purchased the building in 2014 with the intention of creating a piece of living history that would eventually serve as a museum, exhibit hall and public meeting space.

"This has been a long project, but we are really starting to make some real progress," said Donna Macalle-Holly, acting foundation executive director. "If all goes as planned, we should be ready to move in some time in 2018."

The station house as it stands now was built in 1911 by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in order to accommodate the large number of tourists who flocked to the lake each summer.

"The unique thing about the station was that it was really the first stop for anyone looking to come into the area," Macalle-Holly said. "In addition to passengers who were arriving by train, the station also served as a landing for those traveling by canal boat or by trolley. In those days, Lake Hopatcong was the place to be, especially in the summer. For many people, seeing the station meant that vacation was about to start. It has a lot of historical significance to this area, and we're so glad to be able to be bringing it back to life."

In its heyday, the station also featured elevated walkways and large elevators that could accommodate large volumes of travelers and their luggage.

As the years went by and more people began to travel by car, many of the secondary structures were demolished in order to make way for modern roads and parking lots.

"Luckily, we have a lot of photos that we plan to display of how the station looked in the early 1900s," Macalle-Holly said. "It's going to be a great experience for people to think back on the history of the town while standing in the very spot where much of it happened."

Since the building is listed on both the national and federal registries of historic places, Macalle-Holly said that restoration efforts have had to follow certain regulations.

"We have been working with Connolly and Hickey-- an architectural firm that specializes in historic renovations -- to make sure that everything is being handled the right way," she said. "There are a lot of details to take into consideration, but it's coming along very well."

Margaret Hickey, principal historic preservation specialist for Connolly and Hickey, said that preservation can be "a delicate dance."

"You can tell that this building was a very important component of the railroad based on the amount of work that was put into its construction," Hickey said. "The walls were created using the most advanced technology of the time, and the local stone work really adds a lot of character. It has been a pleasure working with the foundation, because they have really been hitting the pavement on behalf of this project. They have a great attitude, and I think this building is going to look really spectacular when it's finished."

In 2016, the foundation commissioned a new roof of glazed clay tiles from Lodowici Roof Tiles, the Ohio-based company that supplied the building's original tiles in 1911.

The roof was completed earlier this year, Macalle-Holly said. Now, the foundation is focusing its efforts on the mechanical, engineering and plumbing systems.

"We should be getting ready to start some of the interior remodeling soon," she said. "We just received a $160,000 grant from the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust that is going to go towards restoring the windows, so things are really starting to take shape." The grant will also be used for interior renovation.

When the renovations are completed, the station will consist of three separate rooms: the original baggage area, which will serve as the administrative offices for the foundation; the waiting room, which will be re-purposed into an exhibition center and meeting space; and the entryway, where guests will be able to gather information about community events and local happenings.

"We were very lucky in that we were able to find the original site plan drawings for the station," Macalle-Holly said. "This is about more than finding a permanent home for the foundation. This is about taking care to preserve a piece of our history as a community."

So far, most of the work on the station has been completed with the help of grants like the one through the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust. While preservation grants can be a wonderful resource for projects like the train station restoration, Hickey said that they also tend to come with a few strings attached.

"In order for the foundation to be able to qualify for state and county grants, they have to be able to match a certain percentage of the funds," she said. "I have to give a lot of credit to the foundation. They have really been out hitting the pavement to secure the funding they need to make sure that this project is completed on a reasonable timeline."

The foundation's annual Lake Loop fundraiser will be held Sept. 24.

Macalle-Holly said that local residents have shown a vested interest in the project, as it so clearly represents the culture and history of the area.

"One of the greatest parts of this process has been the community involvement," she said. "We have people volunteering to help with landscaping, fundraising and special projects. There seems to a be a lot of interest in this building, which is so important if you want to see something done well. We're not quite there yet, but when all of this is finished, I guarantee it will have been well-worth the wait."

For more information about the Lake Hopatcong Foundation and the train station project, visit www.lakehopatcongfoundation.org.

Katie Moen can also be reached on Twitter: @KMoenNHJ or by phone: 973-383-1230.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to clarify that the grant will be spent on interior renovation in addition to window restoration.

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